Clark University Graduate School of Management

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School Says - General Information
Clark University Graduate School of Management (GSOM) offers the Master of Business Administration (MBA); MBA in Social Change; Master of Science in Finance (MSF); MBA/MA in Community Development & Planning; MBA/MA in Environmental Science & Policy; and MBA/MSF. As a GSOM student, you will benefit from small class sizes and close interactions with talented faculty. As a GSOM graduate, you will join an international alumni network of leaders in multinational corporations, family businesses, and new ventures.

School Says - Student Body
Clark GSOM is proud to welcome a diverse student population who represent the multinational nature of business today. Generally over 70% of full-time students are from outside the U.S. They come to Clark from a wide variety of industry and functional backgrounds, from large multinational corporations and small family-run enterprises, and at different stages in their careers. This multiplicity of experiences and backgrounds benefits our students as they learn first-hand how to manage in a diverse community. Clark GSOM draws heavily on local industries for their part-time student population including technology, financial services, biotechnology, banking, health care, manufacturing and the non-profit sector.

School Says - Academics
The Clark MBA program is characterized by high academic standards, meaningful collaboration among faculty and students, and a focus on global business practice. MBA concentration areas include accounting, finance, global business, management, management information systems, marketing, and social change.

The Clark MSF program focuses on comprehensive study of finance topics ranging from stock and bond valuation to risk management, fixed income securities, and financial econometrics.

School Says - Admissions
Clark GSOM seeks individuals who will add diversity and vitality to our program. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of educational backgrounds including business, liberal arts, sciences and social sciences, and who hold baccalaureate degrees or the equivalent from accredited institutions. Admission is open to full-time and part-time students. Classes meet once/week and are offered in the daytime and evening. The MBA program enrolls new students in September and January. The MSF program admits new students in September only.

Students Say - Academics
A small graduate business program strong in finance (so strong, in fact, that it offers both an MBAwith a finance concentration and a Master of Science in Finance), the Graduate School of Management at Clark University provides a "collaborative atmosphere" to a student body drawn from both the immediate region and halfway around the globe. As a result, Clark is "very diversified, which brings many different perspectives to the classroom." Finance and accounting are standout disciplines here ("Many of the finance professors have impressive concurrent careers, running hedge funds by day and teaching courses by night; they typically have highly recognized professional certifications in addition to their PhDs," one student notes), but MBAs report other curricular strengths as well, including a "recently added concentration in social change, which allows students to take elective courses in the International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE) Department at Clark….There is also a three-year dual-degree program (MBA/MA in CD or ESP) between these two departments." Clark's forward-looking, green-leaning proclivities are further revealed in "the dual-degree program offered in environmental science and policy and the MBA." Clark's professors are "demanding but fair." Some "are outstanding. They come from experienced fields and they help you live the experience of the new material in all its aspects. Suddenly statistics and finance become easy and enjoyable with them." Others, however, "are dull and give you tedious work that takes hours but is not interesting." Students appreciate that "The school makes sure to take the student's opinion into account when re-enlisting a professor to teach for the upcoming semesters." The program also offers "many opportunities to help real businesses in the city" in order to gain "real life experience." More of this sort of thing could be on the way; as one student observes, "I have seen a steady progression in Clark's course offerings that indicates that they understand the ‘real-world' challenges facing students and are adapting appropriately. I am particularly encouraged by the apparent increase in courses addressing innovation, social sustainability, entrepreneurship, and management leadership."

Students Say - Admissions
Clark offers applicants an unusual option; the school accepts either the GMAT or the GRE. A 5-year BA/MBA program for Clark undergraduates is available. Clark requires the following of applicants: a completed admissions application; a personal essay; a current resume; two letters of recommendation; and official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate programs previously attended. Interviews are optional. International applicants must submit all of the above as well as an official score report for the TOEFL (if their native language is other than English) and proof of the financial means to support oneself while attending the program.

Students Say - Campus Life
Clark University's location in the urban setting of Worcester, Massachusetts, provides the same opportunities and challenges of any urban campus. Clark's University Park Partnership brings together the University and Main South communities to help create a safe and vibrant neighborhood for all. However, students must take the usual safety precautions. Some report that there are "no real student bars and the like in the Clark area and that the neighborhoods surrounding the school have been allowed to fall into poverty by the town of Worcester." Students quickly note that "Clark has a world-class police force whose mission to protect the students is paramount" and that policing on campus includes a "good and very, very helpful" escort service though "there have been cases of students being mugged from time to time." About half of Clark's MBAs are full-time students. Many spend a lot of time on and around campus. While "undergraduate student groups are closed to graduate students," MBAs enjoy "fun social events that the business school's student council puts on, and an interesting stock market activity that happens each semester." Some report that graduate student life "feels very disconnected from the rest of the school" and that it can "get boring at times because we are a very small community." Others state that the school "provides some networking alumni activities to help us to search jobs, and for international students, they organize some specific activities, such as Asian New Year, to make students (come) together and feel (at) home." Clark's part-time students "are mostly native(s of) Worcester or Massachusetts, with different ages and backgrounds." Full-timers typically "come from different Asian countries," with India and China especially well-represented. International students "add a richness in perspective," although some "are weak in English."

Students Say - Careers
Many Clark students say the Stevenish Career Management Center at Clark's GSOM "does a good job of helping students prepare for their career search. They edit resumes and cover letters, provide interview coaching, and give students information on nearby career fairs." The Center provides a range of services including individual advising, resume and cover letter assistance, workshops, career fairs, on-campus recruiting events, alumni networking events, alumni professional seminars, internship placement, and job and internship postings. Although internships are required of students with fewer than three years of professional experience, some students consider that "it shouldn't be a requirement to attain an internship as a graduate student." Others state the office does "not do a sufficient job of getting employers interested in Clark's students." Employers who have recently hired Clark GSOM graduates include Johnson & Johnson, Deloitte, Aetna Insurance, Public Consulting Group, JP Morgan, AMCOR, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

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